The Shunammite woman: When testimony becomes a key to restoration

The Shunammite woman in the Bible (2 Kings 4,8) had a good life. She and her husband were rich but they had no children. Through her generosity to the man of God, Elisha, they received a son through prophecy. Sometime later, they lost that son and through the power of God the son was restored to life. The trials of her life (barrenness and death) became the testimony of the Shunammite woman. The Shunammite woman was shown enough mercy and favour from God. Her generosity to the man of God opened up a memorial for her. Her home became the dwelling place for the servant of God and she and her family experienced God’s miraculous powers. Instead of focusing on what she didn’t have (a child), she focused on what she could give (food and accommodation) and she in turn received what she didn’t have. As long as your gaze is on your problems, you fail to see what God can do. But, when your gaze is on what God’s power can do, your mess becomes your message and your tests become your testimony. Instead of a garment of sadness, put on a garment of praise and cast all your cares on God. He is able.

The Shunammite woman and her family continued to serve Elisha, the man of God. When we continue to fellowship in the presence of God, He reveals his mind to us. For example, before God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham was told because he was a friend of God (Genesis 18:16-33). 2 Kings 8:1 state this, “Now Elisha had said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, “Go away with your family and stay for a while wherever you can, because the Lord has decreed a famine in the land that will last seven years.” The Shunammite woman and her family were aware of what had been decreed by God. With this knowledge, “the woman proceeded to do as the man of God said. She and her family went away and stayed in the land of the Philistines seven years” (2 Kings 8:2). Thus, while another woman became so hungry in a time of famine to the extent of eating her own son, the Shunammite woman and her family were spared. When the famine was over after the end of the seven years she came back from the land of the Philistines and went to appeal to the king for her house and land (2 Kings 8:3). 

The king asked the woman about it, and she told him. Then he assigned an official to her case and said to him, “Give back everything that belonged to her, including all the income from her land from the day she left the country until now.” (2 Kings 8:6)

Elisha was no ordinary prophet, through him, God performed marvelous signs and wonders in the land. He was known by the king and the power of God in him was visible. The king had experienced the different ways God’s power had been revealed through the ministry of Elisha. At the time the Shunammite woman went to the king to make an appeal, the king was talking to Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, and had said, “Tell me about all the great things Elisha has done” (2 Kings 8:4). Thus, the king was also searching to know the power of God that has been revealed through Elisha. Then, just as Gehazi was telling the king how Elisha had restored the dead to life, the Shunammite woman whose son Elisha had brought back to life came to appeal to the king for her house and land. The woman was just in at the right time. The testimony of her life was being shared with the king. Gehazi saw the woman and said, “This is the woman, my Lord the king, and this is her son whom Elisha restored to life” (2 Kings 8:5). Right in front of the king was a living testimony of God’s power. Instantly, the king asked the woman about it, and she told him. The woman shared her testimony with the king. When the king heard her testimony, he assigned an official to her case and said to him, “Give back everything that belonged to her, including all the income from her land from the day she left the country until now” (2 Kings 8:6).

For the Shunammite woman, the key to the restoration of her property was her testimony. She didn’t have to say much. She was a living testimony of what God had done. She did not just receive her properties, she also received all the income from her land. All these different doors of favour became accessible to the woman and her family because she opened her home to a man of God. She diligently served a prophet and for the rest of her life, she and her family enjoyed the blessings of a prophet. 

Like the Shunammite,  many of us have received great testimonies of what God can do. We have been shown mercy, we have been favoured and we have been forgiven. Your personal testimony is a message that can restore others to God. Your personal testimony can bring kings to the knowledge of God. You have a message and a testimony. Don’t keep it. God can use your message to restore others, to save others and to give you all that belongs to you. 

The mother who ate her son because of famine

Women are naturally considered as possessing the following traits: sensitive, sweetness, nurturing, gentleness, supportive, calmness, expressive  affection, empathy  tenderness, being emotional, kind, kind, helpful, devoted among many others. These traits are mostly revealed in females and although we have individual differences, most women will likely possess two or more of these traits. The compassion of a mother towards their child is so much expressed in different cultures that in some cultures of the world, God is attributed with motherly qualities that show his deep love and care for His children.  The Bible also shares some of the attributes of God using feminine metaphors. For example, Isaiah 49: 15 compares God to a very committed nursing mother: “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!”
Isaiah 66:13 presents a metaphor of God comforting His people just as a mother comforts her child: “As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you; and you will be comforted over Jerusalem.”
These verses among many others show God’s love, care, compassion, comfort, protection etc. revealed in feminine metaphors. On a daily basis, we experience mothers who go all out to ensure the sustenance of their children. No wonder mother’s day is highly patronized and celebrated across the world. For most people who grew up in broken homes, their mothers were the pillars of their lives.

As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried to him, “Help me, my Lord the king!” (2 Kings 6:26)

Thus, it is highly unlikely that a mother would suddenly become so mean, cruel and wicked to her own children. But, it is possible and on daily basis, some mothers are charged with child abuse claims. The Bible records the story of famine in Israel and its consequences. The Aramean king  Ben-Hadad mobilized his entire army and marched up and laid siege to Samaria. Samaria was the capital of Israel (Northern Kingdom and Jerusalem was the capital of Judah ( Southern Kingdom). This siege brought a great famine in the city. The siege lasted so long that a donkey’s head sold for eighty shekels of silver, and a quarter of a cab of seed pods for five shekels (see 2 Kings 6:24‭-‬25). Thus, everyone was affected. In a similar incident of famine (commanded by Elijah) we saw the widow of Zarephath concerned about her life and that of her son. However, in this famine, we have different types of women. Two women planned to kill and eat their sons in order to survive the hunger. What! They went ahead and killed the first son and ate him. But, the second woman was unwilling to release her own son to be eaten. The king of Israel passed by the wall and the woman whose son was eaten cried to the king, “Help me, my Lord the king!” (2 Kings 6:26). The king replied, “If the Lord does not help you, where can I get help for you? From the threshing floor? From the winepress?” (2 Kings 6:27). The king thought the woman was looking for food. 

Then the king asked her, “What’s the matter?” The woman answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give up your son so we may eat him today, and tomorrow we’ll eat my son.’ So we cooked my son and ate him. The next day I said to her, ‘Give up your son so we may eat him,’ but she had hidden him” (2 Kings 6:28-29). The king was appalled by these words, and he tore his robes. What type of a mother eats up her son? What sort of wickedness is this? When did this woman lose all her traits of feminine and human sense and turned to a cannibal? Was she the only mother going through the famine? What type of woman was she? What type of friend was she keeping? Was she mentally stable? We could go on asking different questions as to why a mother had the courage to do this barbaric and wicked act to her own son. This woman was living in a war zone like many others, her source of livelihood was taken and the city was shut. The armies of Aram made it impossible for anything to enter or leave Samaria. In this state of extreme lack and vulnerability, this woman and her friend planned and performed a barbaric act that could potentially lead them to be ostracized from the society. They lost every respect and their statuses as mothers were questioned.

What will cause people to be so helpless and vain to the extent of eating their own children? For the people of Israel, they had a covenant with God and breaking this covenant made them susceptible to commit some of the heinous sins of the neighboring nations. Leviticus 26:14-46 lists some punishments for the disobeying God. Leviticus 26:27-29 states this: “ If in spite of this you still do not listen to me but continue to be hostile toward me, then in my anger I will be hostile toward you, and I myself will punish you for your sins seven times over. You will eat the flesh of your sons and the flesh of your daughters.” Thus, the woman’s action reflected the evil of the wider society. 

But, we should take note, whenever you are at your lowest point, be careful of what you say, where you go, what you do and who you talk to. Don’t allow yourself to be at the mercy of the law because you failed to control your emotions. Hunger is real, but no hunger should necessitate that you kill to eat. Be open and ask for help when possible.  No murderer, thief or wicked person had a place in Heaven (Revelation 22:15). If your condition has caused you to become accustomed to sinful acts, a clarion call is being made to you today. 

The widow of Zarephath

The Bible gives clear instructions that widows and orphans should be treated with love. From the Old Testament to the New Testament,  there are different verses that give indication of showing love and compassion for widows and orphans. If in the 21st century, widows and orphans are still vulnerable in different parts of the world, imagine their vulnerability before the common era. Moreover, in seasons of drought, famine becomes inevitable and the people who suffer most are the poor, the widows and orphans.  In 1 Kings 17:1, Elijah the prophet declared this to king Ahab: “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.” True to the words of the prophet, therefore there was no rain and the result was famine. God sent ravens to feed the prophet until the brook ran dry. 

“Go at once to Zarephath in the region of Sidon and stay there. I have directed a widow there to supply you with food.” (1 Kings 17:9)

Later, when the brook dried, God told Elijah this: “Go at once to Zarephath in the region of Sidon and stay there. I have directed a widow there to supply you with food” (1 Kings 17:9). It is amazing that God did not send rain but rather sent the prophet to a poor widow. It confirms this: “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 18:18). The widow of Zarephath was a poor woman and the most unlikely person to save a hungry prophet but “God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are” (1 Corinthians 1:27‭-‬28). The prophet was aware of the woman’s poverty but he still obeyed God. When Elijah encountered the widow, she was gathering sticks. Elijah asked: “Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?” (1 Kings 17:10) and as the woman was going to get it, he added, “And bring me, please, a piece of bread” (1 Kings 17:11). Which man asks for bread from a widow in times of famine? But Elijah was sent by God to a widow. 

The woman expressed her vulnerability to the prophet: “As surely as the Lord your God lives,” she replied, “I don’t have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die” (1 Kings 17:12). She and her son have enough to sustain them for some time and nothing more. Thus, sharing with the prophet meant an earlier death for them. Elijah told her: “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the land’ ” (1 Kings 17:13‭-‬14). The woman accepted the message in faith and did as she was directed by the prophet. She placed her trust in the words of the prophet. She was willing to serve her last meal to the prophet with the knowledge that God will provide. She put her faith to work and this was the result: “there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah” (1 Kings 17:15‭-‬16). Sometime later, the woman’s son died and she cried to the prophet and through the power of God, the boy was brought back to life. The woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord from your mouth is the truth” (1 Kings 17:24).

The widow of Zarephath opened her home to the prophet of God, she shared her meal and water with the prophet and she trusted God to supply all her needs. Surely, as long as the famine remained, she and her family did not lack. They had more than enough food to eat. They received divine sustenance. Her dead son was brought back to life and her whole family survived the famine. She obeyed God and did what sounded impossible but her reward was this, God the impossibility specialist gave her more than she ever wanted. She had enough food and she had life. When it seems like there is no way to go through, give your worries to God, cast all your anxieties on Him, do not let your heart be troubled. If ravens (stingy birds) were sent to feed a hungry prophet in seasons of famine, God will definitely send your helper. If a poor and vulnerable widow shared her meal with a prophet in the season of famine, God can make the least expected person to be your source of miracle. But, like the widow of Zarephath,  you should be ready to trust Him to make all things work together for your good. 

Naomi: Returning home

In the early 1990s, my mother’s younger brother left home to seek greener pastures abroad. The condition in our country then was not so good so he made an attempt to build a better future for himself. Almost 30 years later, when the family had almost given up on ever hearing from him, we suddenly woke up one morning to be told that my uncle had called home. It was such a surreal experience. Any time a situation interrupts the general stability and well-being of a nation or city, some people relocate to other countries or cities until the time that returning back home is appropriate. There are a number of examples in scripture about returning home. In Genesis 31:3, God told Jacob to return home to his own people. In Exodus 4, God told Moses to return to Egypt and rescue the Israelites. In Matthew 2:19-20, the angel of the Lord told Joseph to return home and leave Egypt because the person who was seeking to harm Jesus had died. Luke 15:11-32, reports the story of the prodigal son and his final return home when things went bad in the foreign land.

Many other people, especially immigrants from West Africa (from my experience) migrate to the western world and spend years living and raising their families. But, when they retire from active work and they are too old to take care of themselves, they return to their home countries to live in their own properties so that their families can take care of them. On a few occasions, other people are forced to return home because things are not working out for them in their new homes or if they are unfortunately deported for lack of adequate documentation. In any of these scenarios, returning home could bring missed feelings. 

When Naomi heard in Moab that the Lord had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them, she and her daughters-in-law prepared to return home from there.. (Ruth 1:6‭)

Our discussion on Naomi has shown that she left Bethlehem (Israel) in full but after living in Moab for a while, she lost everyone. Her husband and children all died and were buried in Moab. Left with only her daughters-in-law, Naomi made the ultimate decision to go back home. Naomi would have been quite old at this time and she would have missed her home country. Going back was definitely needed. Naomi and her family left their home country because of the famine, but the condition in Bethlehem changed. “When Naomi heard in Moab that the Lord had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them, she and her daughters-in-law prepared to return home from there. With her two daughters-in-law she left the place where she had been living and set out on the road that would take them back to the land of Judah.” (Ruth 1:6‭-‬7)

Ruth and Orpah, Naomi’s daughters-in-law, were determined to return with Naomi. They loved their mother-in-law and were willing to return to live with her people. While on the way, “Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back, each of you, to your mother’s home. May the Lord show you kindness, as you have shown kindness to your dead husbands and to me. May the Lord grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband.” Then she kissed them goodbye and they wept aloud” (Ruth 1:8‭-‬9). Naomi was concerned about the future of her daughters-in-law. She wanted them to return to their own families and find new husbands. 

She told Ruth and Orpah, “Return home, my daughters; I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me—even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons— would you wait until they grew up? Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitter for me than for you, because the Lord’s hand has turned against me!” (Ruth 1:12‭-‬13 NIV). After much persuasion, Orpah returned to her people but Ruth wouldn’t return to Moab. Naomi and Ruth continued the journey to Bethlehem. 

Returning home after a failure and loss could be difficult. “What would be the reaction of people when they see me?” is a question anyone in such a situation might have. The fear of being rejected, ridiculed, and abandoned by friends and family for returning with empty hands can cause people to dread going back. But, in most cases, those who return and are met with loving family and friends are able to bounce back on their feet in no time. It is difficult to bear another person’s burden if you are not in the position to take care of them. However, if we can make room to welcome such people, we would be glad we did. 

If things are not working out in a strange land, sit down, ponder, pray, and reconsider if returning home will be a good option. May God guide us to where we will thrive. 

Then the Lord said to Jacob, “Go back to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you.” (Genesis 31:3)

Naomi: Leaving to escape the unpleasant situation

Famine is an unpleasant situation and no one wants to deliberately experience it. If you are extremely hungry, the feeling can be sore and unpleasant. Therefore imagine if in spite of the soreness in your stomach, there is actually no food to eat. Growing up in Ghana,  my mum used to share her experience with famine. There was a significant drought between 1983-1984 and the result was the 1984 famine in Ghana. Many people experienced the excruciating effects of hunger and the cost of food increased exponentially. In ancient Israel Biblical history, different accounts of famine are recorded. When there is famine, people express different reactions: leaving to another place, staying back, becoming wicked in order to survive, among others. Today, we shall consider how famine caused a family to leave their home to find food in order to survive. For the next few posts, we shall dig deeper into the book of Ruth. The book stands as a connecting bridge between the period of the judges and the beginning of the reign of kings. Let’s begin with Naomi.

In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab. (Ruth 1:1)

Like many women in the Bible, Naomi’s story teaches us profound lessons in life. This is how her story begins: “In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab.” (Ruth 1:1). Naomi was the wife of Elimelek and they had two sons: Mahlon and Kilion. The family were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. So, relocating from Bethlehem to Moab was to avoid the consequences of the famine. This really sounds like a good decision to make in such an unpleasant situation. However, as we read along, we realized that moving to Moab led to a far worse situation for the family. Naomi, like any other woman, might have been worried about the future of her family in the face of the famine. Therefore moving might have been the best option for her and the husband. But wait! They were living in Bethlehem, the House of Bread. How can the House of Bread suddenly become the house of hunger? The town of Bethlehem is significant in the history of God’s people because of the different major events that took place there. God’s desire is not to cause His children to suffer.  However, when the worst happens,  God still makes a way for survival for those who trust in Him.

Moab is a land very close to the Promises land and in fact, before the Israelites finally took possession of the lands God gave them, Moab was one of the cities they had to cross. Moab was built by the incestuous son of Lot. That is, the descendants of the son of Lot which he had with his own daughter, built the city of Moab. The Israelites considered the Moabites as sinners who have no reverence for God. So why will an Israelite family relocate to a land that reminds them of sin and evil? Certainly, it was as a result of the famine. Important to note is that Naomi and her family were probably not the only people that migrated to escape the famine. There could have been others too. However,  Naomi’s story leads to a very significant person in the history of Israel. Naomi might have breathed a sigh of relief when they finally settled in Moab. Her family had escaped the famine, she might have thought. A better life awaits them in Moab. They would have thanked God for taking them safely to Moab and as religious Jews, they might have had offered some sacrifices. As they look back to where the city they had left,  they might have wondered why God would allow famine in a city which is known as the House of Bread.  

Like Naomi, many of us run away from the slightest sight of discomfort. Irrespective of the consequences of us leaving, we tend to dwell on the benefits of leaving rather than the discomfort of staying back. If there is hunger in the House of Bread, where else can you survive? Any decision we make ultimately affects us positively or negatively. Before you make a move, go to God and know if His plans for you will be fulfilled even in that move. Life is full of uncertainties but with God on our side, we shall overcome. 

Asenath: The wife of Joseph

Getting married is a big thing and most couples spend a fortune to prepare for their big day. It comes with massive preparation and making sure that everything is done perfectly. Recently, most couples are resorting to wedding planners so that the load of planning will be taken away. Obviously wedding planners do charge enough fees to cover up for their services. How would you feel if you had your marriage planned by the highest authority of the land? Technically, you are saved from all the pressure of planning, and the financial burden that comes with it. One person who had such a surreal marriage experience is Joseph. His past was filled with painful experiences. He lost his mum while he was still a child. He was sold as a slave by his own brothers. He was convicted and imprisoned for a crime he did not commit. But, God wasn’t done with him yet. While in prison, God opened a great door of dream interpretation ministry and that officially launched Joseph into his career. The day he left the prison, he was crowned as the prime minister of Egypt. As a great personality, he needed a wife that matched his current position. There comes Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, the priest of On. 

Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah and gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, to be his wife. And Joseph went throughout the land of Egypt. (Genesis 41:45) 

Asenath’s upbringing was totally different from Joseph’s. She would have been prepared as an important lady, with religious beliefs of her father. Definitely, Asenath was not prepared to be married to an ex-convict who rose to become prime minister. Joseph’s past was not relevant to the Egyptians. Therefore, Asenath wouldn’t have been worried about stigmatization. I believe Joseph would have been vindicated of the wrong accusations laid on him by Potiphar’s wife. Joseph’s life changed totally. “Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah and gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, to be his wife. And Joseph went throughout the land of Egypt” (Genesis 41:45). Asenath and Joseph’s marriage was arranged by the Pharaoh of Egypt. It would have been a national ceremony.  Joseph had a task to ensure that Egypt survives the impending famine. Asenath had a task to ensure that her husband is well taken care of and ready for his assignment. “Before the years of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On. Joseph named his firstborn Manasseh and said, “It is because God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s household.” The second son he named Ephraim and said, “It is because God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering.” (Genesis 41:50‭-‬52).

Asenath might not be listed as a heroine in the Bible, but we cannot forget the important role she played in Joseph’s life. She might have accepted the God of Joseph as her God which meant the denial of her father’s gods. In the future, the children of Asenath and their descendants became part of God’s bigger story. Manasseh and Ephraim became two important tribes in Israel. There are many women who play background roles in the lives of their husbands. Such women are barely seen. They work backstage and since we don’t focus on the backstage events, we always fail to acknowledge them. If the world doesn’t celebrate you, it doesn’t mean you are not an amazing person. Asenath supported the work of Joseph and ensured that the home was well taken care of as Joseph went throughout Egypt to collect grains. Whether you play backstage roles or onstage roles, know that your service is keeping the world a better place. Remember, “whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom” (Ecclesiastes 9:10). Be serviceable now, tomorrow might be too late.